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User blog:Cfp3157/We All Dream in Gold: The 2016 Academy Awards
Oscars, indeed, so white. Once again, the Academy has launched severe controversy over many of the nominees announced for those famous statuettes. Although, there is a positive; we finally have a slogan for these things! The Host Hosting the Academy Awards ceremony for a second time will be actor and stand-up comedian Chris Rock. Rock had previously hosted in 2005. Cfp's Thoughts "It's the white BET awards." And with that tweet, Chris Rock has given me faith as a host. While last year we were treated to a fantastic opening number, we can expect Rock to deliver some hilarious but sharp and critical comments about the controversies of this year. Unlike Harris, who's gig consisted of dry skits and some of his more tired material, we can expect Rock to keep us entertained throughout the ceremony for sure. Beast's Thoughts What I love about Chris Rock is his brutally honest sense of humor, and as I've mentioned to Cfp, that's exactly what we need for the Oscars. A man willing to call them on their nonsense, and be hilarious while doing so. Best Actor OscarsSoWhite. This is the prime example of the Academy preferring to honor several veterans of the business over some newer but more challenging and powerful roles. However, this is far from criticism of the nominees; in fact, all five delivered some intense and brilliant performances. And the nominees are... *Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo- Trumbo *Matt Damon as Dr. Mark Wattney- The Martian *Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass- The Revenant *Michael Faasbender as Steve Jobs- Steve Jobs *Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe / Einar Wegener- The Danish Girl Trumbo.jpeg|"What the imagination can't conjure, reality delivers with a shrug." Matt Damon Martian.jpeg|"I'm gonna have to science the shit outta this." Leonardo DiCaprio Revenant.jpeg|"He's afraid. He knows just how far I've come for him." Fassbender Steve Jobs.jpeg|"Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra." Redmayne Danish Girl.jpeg|"I think Lili's thoughts, I dream her dreams. She was always there." Cfp's Thoughts As I previously mentioned, this line-up isn't the worst thing to happen. Performances like Fassbender, Damon, and especially DiCaprio are all performances worthy of attention. Are there a couple misfires? Yes. Prediction: This is DiCaprio's award to win. He's got several factors going for him- from the overdue win going for him, with this being his sixth nomination with nothing to show for it. Another fact- he's one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. Finally, he's given us one of his most raw and physical performances of his career, which will easily garner some attention from voters. Preference: Of all the five nominees, DiCaprio certainly has given us the best performance of the entire bunch. While Fassbender is one of the best actors working today and Damon's optimistic turn is my personal favorite of the bunch, DiCaprio ultimately deserves this award the most. Snubbed: Abraham Attah's absolutely stunning and complex performance as a child soldier in Beasts of No Nation not only deserves to be in over Redmayne's Oscar-baity role; he deserves the win. Beast's Thoughts This is actually a solid line-up, to the point where I'd be fine with just about any of these men winning, except Redmayne. Prediction: Maybe this will finally be the year where the Internet finally shuts up about DiCaprio. Judging by the love his physically and mentally brutal performance in the Revenant has received, all signs point to it. There, Internet, happy? Now shut up. Preference: While I have no complaints about DiCaprio winning, the equally unappreciated Micheal Fassbender's turn as the late Steve Jobs is a career-best, masterfully capturing the truly complex figure of Jobs without ever going too sappy or unsympathetic. It'd be nice to see him win, but there doesn't appear to be anything stopping DiCaprio this year. Snubbed: Micheal B. Jordan's turn as Adonis in Creed is stellar work from one of the best young actors in Hollywood. It not getting nominated is not only a snub, but further support for the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. Best Actress In a way, this race is one of the safer and easier to predict. While a couple performances do stick out of place, all of them are well-presented enough to garner respect. And the nominees are... *Cate Blanchett as Carol Aird- Carol *Brie Larson as Joy "Ma" Newsome- Room *Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano- Joy *Charlotte Rampling as Kate Mercer- 45 Years *Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey- Brooklyn Cate Blanchett Carol.jpeg|"My angel, flung out of space..." Brie Larson Room.jpeg|"You're gonna love it...The world..." J-Law Joy.png|"Don't ever think the world owes you a thing, because it doesn't." Charlotte Rampling.jpeg|"I think I was enough for you, I'm just not sure you do." Saoirse Ronan Brooklyn.jpeg|"I wish I could stop feeling like I want to be an Irish girl in Ireland." Cfp's Thoughts I mean... I love J-Law to death, and it's great that they're honoring a veteran like Rampling, but there are three other performances that could take both spots. Two of them are in the wrong category, and the third deserves to win! Both Ronan and Larson give extraordinary performances, while Blanchett delivers a satisfying (but ordinary for her) performance. Prediction: This is Brie Larson's race to lose. While there is a potential upset for Ronan- she's received a lot of love for the film during early rewards season- Larson has completely swept various guild prizes, as well as some love herself. While Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence are always threats, this year it's far less so than normally. Preference: I'm a sucker for romance movies with strong female characters...but even with that aside, Ronan's easily the best performance of the bunch. Her's is the story of countless immigrants, and as she struggles to choose between two men that represent what she loves about her two homes. The one scene this particularly shows is in the end, where she reassures another new traveller. It is in that scene where we realize the scope of Ronan's ability to evolve the character. In a word, the performance is great. To expand- The role is an epic. Snub: Alicia Vikander's broken and heart shattering performance will definitely win her Best Supporting, but category fraud demands she's a lead- same case with Rooney Mara. But as far as a snub goes, Emily Blunt proves she is the action starlet of our generation in her intense, but also a new for Blunt, vulnerable performance in Sicario. Beast's Thoughts Look, Academy, I love Jennifer Lawrence just as much as you do, but we need to talk about adding other people into these races. You were doing so well, introducing these newcomers into the fold, but you went and messed it up in the final stretch. I'm not mad, just disappointed. Prediction:: There's no way Brie Larson's heart-wrenching and strong performance will lose this. It's got just the right amount of the edge to make the Academy look cool, and it's damn good to boot. Preference: Sometimes the frontrunner is the frontrunner for a reason. Larson's performance in Room, on both her part and that of Jacob Tremblay, is the entire reason the film works in the first place. Sad, but quietly hopeful, it's a performance for the ages. Snubbed: The Ellen Ripley of this generation, Charlize Theron's performance in Mad Max is a masterpiece in an already legendary film. It's an impressive show of stoicism throughout, when a lesser actress may have botched it, making the character either too tough or too unbelievable. Too bad she's in an action-packed blockbuster, which the Academy can only throw so many bones to. Best Supporting Actor Talk about a chaotic year. Almost nobody can agree who deserves to go up on that stage, but almost everyone agrees that there are many who could. Talk about several unique stories as well- a veteran actor returning to an iconic role, today's most talented action hero, one of the most intense method actors in the business, a stage actor who made waves in a big screen debut, and the motherfuckin' Hulk. And the nominees are... *Christian Bale as Michael Burry- The Big Short *Tom Hardy as John Fitzgerald- The Revenant *Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa- Creed *Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes- Spotlight *Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel- Bridge of Spies Christian Bale Big Short.jpeg|"I like your haircut. Did you do it yourself?" Tom Hardy Revenant.jpeg|"I ought to be God to you, boy. God giveth, God taketh away." Sly Stallone Creed.jpeg|"The toughest guy you'll ever face in life...is that guy right there." Mark Ruffalo .jpeg|"That could've been you! That could've been me! That could've been anyone!" Mark Rylance.png|"The boss may not always be right. But he's still the boss." Cfp's Thoughts Prediction: '''This is Sly's category to lose. While he may not have as many critic backings as his opponets with the exception of a Globe '''win, Stallone's tale as the veteran actor returning to his greatest role is a story bound to be loved. Ruffalo, Hardy, and Bale are all representing some pretty big Oscar contenders, so they might just cancel each other out. Rylance was a big favorite early on in the season, but he just hasn't established enough momentum like Stallone has to receive my vote of confidence. Preference: There's a surefire way to tell if someone hasn't seen Spotlight- they say Mark Ruffalo doesn't deserve this award. From the very beginning, we see various Ruffalo-isms we've seen over the years; sarastic wit combined with the occasional nervous tick. But as the scandal evolves, we see every feeling Ruffalo feels with hus actions. His disgust, his anger, his helplessness- Mark Ruffalo has poured his heart and soul into this performance. Two particular scenes I need to talk about briefly; the moment he absolutely explodes against the Spotlight crew (with every good reason), and one of the final shots of the film as he meets up with Stanley Tucci's character, who is about to console and aid yet another two of the thousand children. Ruffalo's absolutely mesmerizing performance speaks volumes as to why he is one of the best actor's today. Snubbed: I've always been one of Bale's biggest supporters, but he delivers a good performance here. Unlike Ford's own return to his iconic space scallywag Han Solo, Paul Dano's performance as a young Brian Williams, Idris Elba's startling work as an African warlord, or Jacob Tremblay's heartwarming (or wrenching, depending on who you ask) debut, Bale is not great. But the sorest missing person is another debut- Jason Mitchell. An electric and shocking performance as the gangsta rap icon Eazy-E in the ensemble Niggaz Wit Attitude crew shows the makings of a future star, and is sorely missed in the category for both a lack of diversity and a damn good performance as well. Beast's Thoughts Prediction: Ol' Sylvester Stallone has this one in the bag. Not only is his performance in Creed quite good, but he's also a veteran, something the Oscars love honoring. (See: Meryl Streep's 19 nominations.) While there are some strong performances in this category (which has been repeatedly excellent for the last couple of years), I don't think any of them are turning in strong enough awards precursor love to pull a win. Preference: Frankly, this is a strong category, and any one of these men could pull a win and I wouldn't mind. But the strongest performance of the bunch is Tom Hardy, the true master of The Revenant. Hardy poured blood, sweat, and tears into this performance, and he created one of the most terrifying and almost, but not quite, understandable villains in recent memory. Snubbed: Personally, I'm torn between two actors that would've broken the #OscarsSoWhite mold. On one hand, we have Idris Elba's turn as African Warlord Commandant in Beasts of No Nation, but on the other, we have recent breakout Oscar Isaac's performance as a mad (maybe) scientist and inventor, just as willing to drive his projects insane as he is to bust some killer moves. He's charming, intimidating, and at times even funny in the sleeper hit that was Ex Machina. Best Supporting Actress Talk about an interesting year. While Best Supportinf Actor was a debate of who should be nominated, this one was a debate of which category these actresses belong. And the nominees are... *Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue- The Hateful Eight *Rooney Mara as Theresa Belevit- Carol *Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer- Spotlight *Alicia Vikander as Gerda Wegener- The Danish Girl *Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman- Steve Jobs Daist Domergue.jpeg|When you get to hell, John, tell 'em Daisy sent you... Rooney Mara.jpeg| I don't know what I want. How could I know what I want if I say yes to everything? Rachel McAdams.jpeg|We understand you settled several cases against the church. Gerda Wegener.jpeg|No, leave it. Let it fly... Kate Winslet.jpeg|If you keep alienating people for no reason, there'll be no one left for it to say "Hello!" to. Cfp's Thoughts *'Prediction:' I mean...there's a frontrunner for a reason. Alicia Vikander's obviously the best performance of the entire bunch, supporting or not. She definitely is getting this award, no two ways about it. *'Preference:' Of the three performances that are actually supporting roles, this should handily go to Jennifer Jason Leigh. Aside from this being her first nomination, Daisy Domergue is a great Tarantino character brought to life by one of the industry's veterans. But as for Rooney Mara and Vikander...Those roles are undoubtfully lead vehicles, and damn good ones as well. I'll be honest- Vikander's is the greatest lead actress performance of this year- beating Larson and Ronan. For Mara- she does a better job than Blanchett. *'Snubbed:' Tessa Thompson's role in Creed is quite the debut, creating a character that is instantly memorable without overshadowing the main story. Beast's Thoughts *'Prediction': Frankly, Vikander's the frontrunner because she shouldn't be here, and I personally think studios should stop submitting actors and actresses where they have the best chance of winning. Hell, this isn't even the best Vikander performance of the year. What was I talking about again? Anyway, she's got that SAG love, alongside several other major critics and academy backing her. *'Preference': Rooney Mara's performance in Carol is a fantastic turn from an already great actress. It's a shame that Vikander got put in the wrong category, because Mara would actually have taken this without her here. *'Snubbed': You know how I said Vikander is going to win for the wrong performance? Yeah. Anyone who's seen Ex Machina knows that her turn as Ava is a masterwork, perfectly combining optimism with a creepiness you can't quite put your finger on, making the film's ending dreadfully intense and shocking. Best Director Talk about a stellar year for aspiring directors like your's truly. Whether you prefer sweeping scenery shots, exciting car chases, or tense, crisp cuts, the directors nominated here really have proven their abilities behind the camera. And the nominees are... *Lenny Abrahamson- The Room *Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu- The Revenant *Tom McCarthy- Spotlight *Adam McKay- The Big Short *George Miller- Mad Max: Fury Road '' Lenny Abrahamsom.jpg|Lenny Abrahamsom reads the script with rising star Jacob Tremblay Alejandro Inaritty|Alejandro Inarritu reviewing footage with Best Actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio Adam McKay.jpg|Adam McKay discussing the scene with Best Supporting Actor nominee Christian Bale George Miller.jpg|George Miller instructing actress Charlize Theron Tom McCarth.jpg|Tom McCarthy watching actor Brian d'Arcy James prepare himself for the scene '' Cfp's Thoughts *'Prediction: '''Listen...I hate to admit it, but the strongest thing about ''The Revenant aside from the makeup work is Inarittu's directing. You can feel his influence and painstaking desire for detail in every shot, and the film is beautiful to boot. Inarittu's walking away with the Oscar tonight for several reasons- it'll break the OscarSoWhite trend, it's been racking up wins in several other circuits, and Inarittu's work actually is respectable. *'Preference: '''Obvoiusly, the wonderfully shot, tightly shot blockbuster masterpiece that was George Miller's ''Mad Max: Fury Road. Mixing CGI and practical effects perfectly together, Fury Road is one of the most breaktaking films of the year- as well as the best action movie of 2015, or perhaps the 2010's in general. *'Snubbed:' Biopics are incredibly hard, and easy to do by-the-numbers; especially musical ones. That's where Straight Outta Compton shines- F. Gary Gray's work to bring the N.W.A. back to life is anything but standard. Taking several new actors and putting them in such a controversial timeframe and group, Gray's directing makes the film seem as intense and graphic as the N.W.A.'s rise to power and fall were. Beast's Thoughts *'Prediction': While a lot of people are giving this edge to Innaritu, I think there's a few major factors going against him. One, the Revenant is likely to going to win Best Picture, and the Academy might want to spread the love elsewhere. Two, Innaritu's a bit of a prick, and the Academy may not be willing to reward it to him. Three, George Miller's direction of Mad Max is just as, if not more, impressive, and given the Academy's tendency to reward first-time nominees, I think Miller will be able to pull a much-deserved win. *'Preference': In case you hadn't guessed from my first blurb, George Miller's genius world-building and sweeping, epic, and most of all, fun, direction deserves to be rewarded far more than Innaritu's gloomy, brutal, navel-gazing. *'Snubbed': While the geek in me wants to say JJ Abrams, Ridley Scott's return to form was an incredibly well-done turn, which certainly deserves to be here more than Abrahmson's smaller, less complex work. Best Picture And here comes, in my opinion, the worst category of the bunch. The one thing I hate about this year- not only were many nominations were wrong, but they were predictably so. And with that said, here are the nominees... *''The Big Short:'' A satirical look at the 2007-2008 financial crisis, caused by corrupt big banks and poorly managed housing markets. *''Bridge of Spies:'' The case of Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy captured in the United States and the ensuing trial and prisoner exchange during the Cold War. *''Brooklyn:'' An Irish girl who must make a choice between her new life and lover in America or her old life in Ireland after a devastating event in her life. *''Mad Max: Fury Road:'' A frantic, chaotic, and all around mad ride through the apocalypse with a silent wanderer and ferocious warrior. *''The Martian:'' The tale of one scientist's harrowing mission to survive on Mars long enough to be rescued. *''The Revenant:'' An epic story of revenge as the brutally mauled and abandoned Hugh Glass hunts for the man who left him for dead. *''Room:'' A dark, intense thriller about a mother determined to escape with her son and show him the big, beautiful world. Cfp's Thoughts *'Prediction:' The Revenant is perhaps the most overrated Oscar-y film of the year *glares at Age of Ultron*. That being said, The Revenant has just enough perks and, more importantly, all the critical attention from past contests. Awarding a non-white made movie might be enough to break the OscarSoWhite trend, which also has that going for it. Ultimately, placing money on The Revenant really is the way to go. *'Preference:' Star Wars. The Departed. Reservoir Dogs. The Dark Knight. These are some of the very few films that have left me completely and utterly amazed at the absolute brilliance. Now, Spotlight can fit comfortably onto that list. From the flawless- yes, flawless- script to the stellar acting to the crisp directing, everything about Spotlight is absolutely mesmerizing. Shedding light on an amazingly dark issue in the modern world without being too cynical or sympathetic, Tom McCarthy's newest project presents us with a true cinematic jewel. *'Snubbed:' Straight Outta Compton is one of the greatest biopics in recent memory. Featuring a great script, an outstanding cast, skilled directing, and a narrative that is as unforgiving and honest as the men that inspired it, Straight Outta Compton is one of the best films of 2015 without any doubt. Beast's Thoughts *'Prediction': Despite what Cfp said, this is an actually diverse and good showing for the category, where even the weakest film of the bunch is pretty good. After all, how many times has the actual best picture of the year stood a chance of winning the award? Unfortunately, all signs seem to be pointing to a three-way race between the Revenant, Spotlight, and The Big Short, with the Revenant, a brutal, well-made film boosted both by it's troubled production and the fact that it was made primarily by a Latino (that's the right term, right?) man, seeming to be taking a lead due to both it's Golden Globes and BAFTA wins. *'Preference': The Best Picture of my heart will always be Mad Max. An incredible thrill-ride from beginning to end, they simply don't make em like this anymore, and they really, really should. Hell, if we were giving Oscars for troubled production alone, Mad Max (a film that took a decade to make) would sweep this ceremony easily. The Revenant may have told an interesting story, but Mad Max built a world. *'Snubbed': Star Wars. Creed. Carol. The Hateful Eight. Anomalsia. The list (and reasons as to why ten nominees should be mandatory) goes on. Category:Blog posts Category:Predictions